Push button radio control



June 25, I o, ALM'EN 2,205,968

PUSH BUTTON RADIO CONTROL 1 Filed July 51, 1959 2 ShQetS Sheet-I jdkzz 61127151;

Q! 1 f Cittomegi June 25, 1940. J. o. ALMEN 2,205,963

PUSH BUTTON RADIO CONTROL Filed July 31, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 2/ I mm.

I -mn llllllllll Ennentor Patented June 25, 1 940 PUSH BUTTON RADIO CONTROL John 0. Almen, Ferndale, Mich, assignor to.

General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application July 31, 1939, Serial No. 287,560

8' Claims.

The present invention relates to an automatic mechanism for moving an adjustable control element to one of a plurality of positions. It par- 1 ticularly relates to a tuning mechanism for radio receivers in which a plurality of manually operable means is selectively operated to obtain one of a plurality of broadcasting frequencies. J

In mechanisms of this type it is desirable to reduce the number of parts to a minimum and use stampings and parts requiring little machining to reduce the size and weight of the assembly. By so doing the tuning mechanism may, be included in the receiver housing which may be mounted in any position or space for convenient operation of the control elements. This is especially desirable where the receiver is installed on the dash of a motor vehicle where the space is limited and it is necessary to locate the controls adjacent the driver.

Inthe design of such mechanism it is necessary to provide means which may be moved easily to adjust the tuning shaft and in addition make these means adjustable. In the present invention both the tuning operation and adjustments thereof are accomplished by manual movement of the means itself. The mechanism is particularly adaptable for automobile radio sets as these operations may be accomplished with one hand only, enabling a driver to tune the set and adjust the mechanism while driving without distracting his attention from the duties necessary for the safe operation of his vehicle.

The chief object of this invention is to provide a simplified manually operable means to select any 5 broadcasting frequency desired and to adjust the mechanism to change the setting thereof by the use of only one hand. Y

Other objects and the means for accomplishing them by the use of this simplified mechanism will be better understood by reference to the specification and claims and illustrations in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the control panel showing the manual control elements; 45 Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1; v

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view showing some of the parts in. section and others broken away to show details of the assembly; 50 Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on line 3-4 of Figure 3 showing a detail of one element;

Figure 5 is an end elevation of the complete assembly; Figure 6 is a perspective view showing one unit 36 of the assembly; and

(Cl. 14-10) I t Figure? is a vertical elevation of the assembly with the control panel removed and with some 1 of the parts broken away and in section to show further details.

- Referring to Figures 3, 5 and 7, the automatic- 5 indexing mechanism is supported in aframe comprising side plates land 3 to which are riveted transverse plates 5 and I. The frame may be attached to any convenient supporting member such as the chassis of the radio receiver by ears 3 inlo teogral with the side plates provided with openings A shaft Ii is supported for rotation in aligned openings i3 in each side plateand is limited to a definite arc of movement by a pin I! pressed lil into a radio hole near one end thereof. The pin I5 is movable angularly between abutments l1 and it formed' by punching and bending portions of the side plate 3 inwardly. The shaft II is operably connected in any convenient manner to b the tuning shaft of a radio receiver, for example, by a gear 2i fixed to one end of the shaft Ii by a set screw 23. The gear 2| meshes with a gear 25 fixed to the tuning shaft.

In order to restrain rotation of the shaft II a 25 brake button 21 is held in contact with the side of the gear 2| by a blade spring 23 having one end fixed to the side plate 3 by two machine screws 3| and 33 and having a pierced opening 35 in its free end in which the brake button'is movably 30 supported by a helical compression spring 31 and spring retainer 33.

A plurality of helical torsion springs 4| are pressed on the periphery of the shaft I i at axially spaced points intermediate its ends. Each of 35 these springs has bent end portions 43 and 45 extending outward from the shaft and is prevented from axial movement with respect to the shaft by collars 41 also pressed on the shaft and located adjacent the spring ends. Any number of springs 0 ll may be used, each acting as a clutch to rotate the shaft in either direction to any one of a pmrality of angular positions.

The springs are so wound (see Figure 2) that any force in the direction of the arrows acting on 4 either end 43 or 45, or both, will cause the coils to,

' be wrapped more tightly on the shaft. If the spring is in the position shown by the dotted lines, any force applied in the direction shown by the arrow adjacent to the end 43 will cause the shaft to be rotated counterclockwise and if equal force is applied on both ends simultaneously in the direction of the arrows, the shaft will be held in a given angular position. Conversely, if force is applied to both ends simultaneously in the opposite direction. the coils will be unwound and the shaft may be rotated with respect thereto so that any spring may be adjusted to a plurality of angular positions with respect to the shaft.

A manually movable selector assembly is 10- cated adjacent each spring, (see Figure 6). Each assembly is supported on a plunger shaft 49 linearly movable along and rotatable on an axis extending at right angles to the shaft II. The shaft 49 is supported in aligned openings 5i and it in the transverse plates I and I respectively (see Figures 2 and 3). 0n the outer end of the plunger shaft 40 a selector push button II is fixed having a vertical slot 01 in which an identification tag I8 is visible through an opening II inthe face thereof. This button projects through a panel 03 which may be the control panel of the radio receiver or the instrument panel of an automobile. As shown in Figure 1, a volume control knob 65 and a tuning knob 01 are located adjacent these push buttons, both of which are operably connected to the radio receiver for manual adjustment of these controls.

0n the other end of the plunger shaft 49 a plate 88 is fixed. This plate is guided for linear movement in a vertical slot II extending at right angles to the center line of the shaft II and radially in either direction from the opening 53 supporting the plunger shaft as best shown in Figures 2 and 7. The plate has an arcuate portion I3 adjacent the helical spring 4| and abutments "and TI on either side thereof which are bent at right angles in opposite directions with respect to the sides of the plate 69. These abutments are located with respect to the ends 43 and 45 of the spring 4| so that inward movement of the plunger causes either abutment to contact either end of the spring exerting a force thereon to wrap it tighter on the shaft and rotate the shaft in either direction to a definite angular position determined by the simultaneous contact of both abutments with both spring ends as explained above.

On each of the abutments I5 and 17 oppositely faced hooked members 19 and iii are fixed by means of rivets 83. These hooks are located so that when the selector assembly and plunger shaft have been moved inwardly an amount necessary to move the plate 68 out of the slot II and cause both abutments to contact both spring ends, the plunger may be rotated clockwise, as shown in Figure 4, to cause engagement of both spring ends by both of the hook members. Only one hand is necessary to cause inward movement of'the plunger shaft and rotate it so that it is retained in its inward position by engagement of the spring ends by the hook members. i

A helical tension spring is stressed by both of these movements of the plunger shaft and has one and hooked over a downwardly extending lug 81 of the plate 69 and its other end hooked through openings 89-and ill in the transverse plate 5. Upon release of the push button by the hand, the spring 85 tends to move the selector assembly a slight distance'away from the shaft and move the ends 43 and 45 of the spring therewith which causes unwinding action of the coils of the spring 4| and the release of their frictional grip with the shaft periphery. The force of the helical tension spring 85 tending to rotate the selector assembly is not sufficient to cause disengagement of the hooks from the spring ends. The hand is then free to move the tuning shaft to a new position by manipulation of the ment of the spring H with the shaft I I.

manual control knob to change the angular position of the shaft II with respect to the disengaged spring. The setting of the tuning shaft and shaft II by the manual control tuning knob 6! having been obtained, the push button is moved inward slightly and then rotated so that the hooked members 10 and II are disengaged from the spring ends 43 and 4' to cause reengage- 7 Upon release of the push button by the hand the spring 00 moves the selector assembly outward to its fullest extent. When this particular assembly is subsequently moved inward, the shaft II and the tuning shaft will always be rotated to this definite position as set by the manual tuni'ng control knob 01.

Outward movement of the assembly is limited by a stop member 0! integral with the plunger shaft 40 coming into contact with the transverse plate I as shownin Figures 2 and 3. This member has a conical cam surface 05 for actuating brake releasing mechanism upon initial movement of the plunger fromits maximum outward position toward the shaft I I.

A slide member 01 is mounted for linear movement at right angles to the plunger shafts 40 in slots 09 and IM respectively in the side plates I and 3 (see Figure 7). The member 91 has a plurality of integral upwardly bent lugs I03, each of which is provided with an angular surface [05 and a surface I0'I parallel to each plunger shaft. A helical tension spring I09. having one end hooked in an opening III in the slide member 91 and its other end hooked in an opening H3 in the side plate 3, serves to keep the angular surfaces on the lugs in contact with the cam surfaces 0! of the stop members 93 when all the plungers are in their normal or outward position with respect to the tuning shaft. A stud H5 is fixed on the end of the slide member 9'! and extends through an opening II! in the side plate 3 and through a hole H9 in a lever I2I fulcrumed at I 23 on an extension 8 of the transverse plate 1. The opposite end I25 of the lever I2I is 10- cated adjacent the blade spring 20. An adjusting nut I21 threaded on the stud serves to move the lever IZI about its fulcrum so that the end I25 is normally held just out of contact with the blade spring and is locked in this position by a locknut I29. When any, selector assembly is moved inwardly slightly, the camming action between the cam surface of the plunger and the angular surface I05 of the lug I03 causes the slide 01 to move linearly. The stud H5 fixed to the end of the slide will be moved inwardly and rock the lever IZI about its fulcrum I23 so that the end I25 moves the free end of the blade spring and brake button 21 out of contact with the gear 2i. v Upon release of the brake the shaft II may be freely rotated by any of the selector assemblies but is restrained from rotating due to vibration or the like when all the assemblies are in their normal or outward position with respect to the shaft II. The frictional drag due to the brake is not objectional when tuning the receiver by means of the manual control knob which may be geared to the tuning shaft and is used infrequently after adjusting the selectors.

I claim:

1. In an automatic tuning mechanism for radio receivers comprising a rotatable shaft operably with either angularly extending'end portion of the helical member to increase its frictional engagement with the shaft and to rotate the shaft in either direction, said means capable of simultaneously contacting both of said angularly extending end portions to stop rotation of said helical member and said shaft 'in.a definite angular position.

2. In an au matic tuning mechanism for radio receivers comprising a rotatable shaft operably connected to a tuning device, a helical member in frictional engagement and concentric with said shaft and having angularly extending end portions, and means rotatable about and linearly movable along an axis at right angles to the shaft to successively engage the angularly extending end portions of the helical member and move said end portions to release the frictional engagement of the helical member from the tuning shaft.

3. In an automatic tuning mechanism for radio receivers comprising a rotatable control shaft operatively connected to a tuning device, a helical member in frictional contact with the rotatable control shaft and having angularly extending end portions, and means linearly movable in one direction along an axis at right angles to the control shaft, said means capable of contacting and moving either angularly extending end portion of the helical member to increase its frictional engagement with the shaft and to rotate said shaft in either direction and capable of simultaneously contacting both of said angularly extending end portions to stop rotation of said shaft in a definite angular position, said means being rotatable about said axis to engage both of said angularly extending end portions while in contact with said end portions, and capable of movement in the opposite direction along said axis to move said angularly extending end portions of said helical member to release the frictional engagement of the helical member from the control shaft.

4. In an automatic tuning mechanism for radio receivers comprising a rotatable shaft operably connected to a tuning device, a helical member in frictional engagement and in concentric relation with respect to said shaft and having angularly extending end portions, releasable friction means normally held inengagement with said shaft to prevent rotation of said shaft, and means movable along an axis at right angles to said shaft and including a cam arranged to initially contact said friction means to cause it to release its frictional engagement with the shaft, said means thereafter capable of contacting either of said angularly extending end portions of said helical member to rotate the shaft in either direction, and capable of finally contacting both of said angularly extending portions of said helical member to stop rotation of said member and said shaft in a definite angular position.

5. In an automatic tuning mechanism for radio receivers comprising a rotatable shaft operably connected to a tuning device, a helical member in frictional engagement with the shaft and having angularly extending end portions, means linearly movable in one direction along an axis at right angles to the rotatable shaft capable of contacting either angularly extending end portion of said helical member to rotate the shaft in either direction and capable of contacting both of said angularly extending end portions to stop rotation of said shaft in a definite angular position, said means being rotatable about said axis to engage both of said angularly'extending end portions shaft, a helical clutch element wound on and in frictional engagement with said driving shaft and having angularly extending end portions, means linearly movable in both directions along an axis at right angles to the driving shaft and rotatable about said axis, said means being linearly movable in one direction successively to contact and move either of said end portions of said helical clutch element and thereby rotate the driving shaft in either direction or to make contact with both of said end portions simultaneously to stop rotation of said clutch element and said tuning shaft in a definite angular position, said means being capable of rotation about said axis to engage both of said end portions of said helical clutch while in contact therewith, resilient means operatively connected to said means tending to move said first named means linearly in the opposite direction along said axis whereby both of said engaged and portions of said helical clutch will be so moved to cause a release of its frictional engagement with said shaft, and manually operable means operatively connected to one of said shafts to rotate said driving shaft with respect to the clutch element in its released position whereby said clutch may be frictionally reengaged with the driving shaft in a different angular position by rotating said first mentioned means in the opposite sense about said axis.

7. In an automatic tuning mechanism for radio frictional engagement with the driving shaft and having angularly extending end portions, a plurality of manually operable means for selectively rotating said driving shaft to any one of a plurality of predetermined angular positions, each of said means being linearly movable in one'direction along an axis at right angles to the driving shaft to contact and move either angularly extending end portion of an individual clutch member whereby the driving shaft will be rotated in either direction and to stop rotation thereof in a definite angular position by contacting both end portions of a clutch member simultaneously, each of said means being rotatable about said axis to engage both the end portions of a clutch member while in contact therewith, resilient means operatively connected to said individual means to move each and the end portions of a clutch engaged thereby linearly. along said axis in the opposite direction to release the frictional engagement of any clutch from the driving shaft, and control means operably connected to rotate said tuning shaft independently with respect to any clutch member so released whereby said clutch may be then frictionally reengaged with said driving .shaft .upon disengagement of both end of the first named means.

8. In an automatic tuning mechanism for radio receivers comprising a tuning shaft, a driving shaft operatively connected to rotate the tuning shaft, releasable friction means normally held in engagement with the driving shaft to prevent rotation thereof, a plurality of helical clutch members axially spaced along the driving shaft and in frictional engagement with said driving shaft, each 01' said clutch members having angularly extending end portions, a plurality of selector assemblies linearly movable along parallel axes extending at right angles to each of said clutch members, each of said selector assemblies being rotatable about its individual axis and including a plunger shaft, a push button fixed on one end of the plunger shaft, spaced abutments fixed on the opposite end thereof, a hook member attached to each abutment, a cam fixed intermediate said ends and a spring operatively connected to said assembly normally tending to hold it in spaced relation with its respective clutch member, each of said assemblies being linearly movable in one direction to successively cause said cam to contact and move said friction means out of engagement with said driving shaft, to then cause either of said abutments to contact and move either end portion of said clutch element to rotate the driving shaft in either direction and to finally cause both of said abutments to simultaneously contact with both of said end portions of said clutch to stop rotation of said driving shaft in a definite angular position, said selector assembly being manually rotatable about its axis'to cause engagement of said hook members with said ends of said clutch to release said frictional engagement of said clutch from said driving shaft by said spring tending to move said assembly linearly in the opposite direction, and manual means operatively connected to rotate the driving shaft with respect to any clutch so released.

JOHN 0. ALMEN. 

